How to make a robot from recycled materials

40 Years ago, having a computer at home was just a Hollywood stuff, but now it is possible to see a robot in every home in near future. Here in this article, we guide you step by step on how to make your own tiny dancing spider robot , all from the material you can get from your junkyard.

Difficulty Level: Moderately Challenging

Time Required: 40 to 60 minutes

Resources required

A Matchbox

Cardboard and wood pieces

Four batteries (pencil sized AA) 1.5 volts each

Rubber band, glue bottle

A Motor, Preferably a Vibrot one

LED lights

Hard copper or aluminum wires

Thin wires for connections

Soldering iron

A tiny switch

Bolts and screwdriver

Instructions

1. At very first we have to make the battery unit, for this you can fix batteries in the matchbox and connect the wires according to the polarity, considering the (-) and (+) terminals and flung the thin wires out. use the soldering iron to connect the wires firmly.

2. Now it’s the time to make the robot body, you can use the cardboard pieces to make a chassis, use the glue or other adhesive to make the frames for the motor and the battery, and make a lightweight cover for the whole unit. Be watchful for the overall size, weight and balance of the whole unit.

3. Now you must pick up those thick wires and connect them to the motor, but not to the electric terminal, but to the functional points, making an arc with the rotating axis. These copper wires will be the legs of your dancing spider.

4. Connect the battery unit to the motor through the wires, once again carefully regarding the positive and negative terminals, now connect the switch, completing the circuit , and turn it on, you may now see the motor in action, and the thick wires you connected now shuffle with the movement of the motor.

5. Now turn the switch off, and try to reshape the thick copper wires to make some reasonable design for the robot leg, maybe it a square or a curling shape as your creativity demands, additionally you may cut them short enough for balance. If you feel like, you can rearrange the thick wires to where they connect with the motor, so the movements of the robot, would be more synchronized and visibly attractive.

6. When you are about satisfied with the functions, its time to put it all together. fix the battery unit and the motor with the copper wire “legs” to their frames, using the bolts and screwdriver. fit the switch and check the wires again by turning it on. Make holes or space in the base cardboard for the legs. finally fix the wires to the base so they do not make a mess later. Do not fix the cover now.

7. Heartbeat moment , its the first time you are going to see your robot in action, carefully put it on the table , balancing it on its legs, hold it while you turn the switch on, and then watch it dancing on the table before your eyes. Be careful for the robot, for it doesn’t fall off the table, but more importantly for you, don’t fall off your seat at surprise lol !

8. Finally place the LED light in parallel with the circuit, test again for the light and the motor to work simultaneously, now pick the cover and make windows on it for the LED and the switch, and then finally fix the cover with nuts and bolts, in a manner you can open it later for a battery change, or a minor repair. you can paint the cover to look it like a spider, or a bug of your choice. It’s your own pet after all !

Frequently asked questions

The robot legs move when i hold it in hands, but not on the ground, why ?Try to use batteries with more voltage, alternatively you can lose more weight for the whole system.

How to make my spider lighter in weight ?Obviously, dieting won’t help.but yes, you can choose lighter material for the board and cover, such as aluminium foil for cover and plywood pieces for the board.

Quick tips

Try to keep the legs of robot as short as possible, this will make the movements more firm and reduce the torque so you can work with a less powerful motor and battery voltage.

Center of gravity, or simply speaking, the point of balance for the robot must be considered for the robot to move properly.

Things to watch out for

The robot is not so robust, and must be handled carefully.

Connecting the wires is tricky, you can ask some friend to do it for you if you stumble upon it.

How to make a robot from recycled materials was last modified: August 1st, 2012 by Community Writer | Community.Drprem.com

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